


Something in the Way He Moves

by Ladyhawk_lhflu



Category: Velvet Goldmine
Genre: Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-27
Updated: 2016-02-27
Packaged: 2018-05-23 14:57:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6120049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ladyhawk_lhflu/pseuds/Ladyhawk_lhflu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur keeps thinking about his friend Chris...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Something in the Way He Moves

Spring 1993

I run down the steps from the Herald's main office like a man on a  
mission. I need to get away from my boss, Lou, before I seriously jeopardize my  
working relationship with him and the other editors by punching him in  
the face.

"What a bloody awful day!" The sound of the traffic drowns out the yell.  
I wish it were that easy to block out the problems that caused the  
exclamation. 

I walk aimlessly for awhile, trying to cool down. Soon, however, I find  
that my feet have drawn me to a familiar place, as if they knew  
instinctively what will help me the most. I open the door to Wishes  
knowing I've come to a place where I don't have to hide anything.

There he is at the counter, the reason I come in here at least three  
times a week. I couldn't ask for a better friend.

"Hey Chris!" I wave to the owner of the downtown bar as he pours a beer  
for another regular. 

He comes over to where I sit down with a smile. "Hey, Arthur, how's it  
going?"

My friend is attractive in almost an adrogenous way. Short red-brown  
hair, sparking blue eyes, good figure. Just on looks I could fall for  
this man in a heartbeat. But to add to it, the man is such a  
compassionate, understanding person, I'm surprised he hasn't been  
snatched up by someone yet. Too bad I already have a boyfriend. Too bad  
Christopher Parker is straight, or so his ex-girlfriend claims.

"Hey, what's the problem today, man?" I look up from my musings to see  
Chris staring at me intently from behind the counter. For a second, it's  
almost as if there was another man in front of me, his look is that  
intense.

My heart jumps. "Oh, it's just stuff at the Herald." 

Deja vu starts to dawn on me as that look gets more intense, but I can't  
grasp what he reminds me of. For some reason, I get that feeling a lot  
around Chris. 

He looks me straight in the eye as he hands me my Guinness. "No problems  
with Jesse, I hope?"

I tell him the truth quickly to avoid another lecture on why my  
boyfriend is a bastard. "Um, no. Lou's trying to cut my article on the  
changing face of rock down to nothing."

Chris's face turns fierce. "The one you did all that research on, spent  
hours beating your head against this very counter? Let me at him. I'll  
explain to that unappreciative moron what the article's worth, with my  
fists if I have to."

There he goes again, defending me. He really understands how I feel  
about things. I guess this is what it's like to have a big brother.

Right now he looks like he could seriously shoot Lou in the head if he  
walked into the bar. So I tease him, and in the process, torture myself. 

I smile and bat my eyelashes at him. "Oh, you're only saying that so you  
can take me home tonight."

He grins, the tension leaving his face. "Hey, you'd be a lot warmer than  
Louise was."

Now there's one subject that makes me want to grab a gun and defend  
*him*. How can anybody be so cold that they make you spend exorbinant  
amounts of money on them so they stay with you, then tell you you were  
lousy in bed and your former best friend was a much better lay? If Chris hadn't  
thrown her out of the apartment before he told me this, Louise  
would've run the risk of being dead by the end of that day.

Suddenly, Chris grabs my arm and shakes it. "Hey, knock it off. She's  
gone." 

"Yeah, I know, and she only hurt your pride." I shake my head,  
demonstrating how much I believe the statement he repeated to me dozens  
of times.

"She never did anything like this, Arthur." He points to a scar on my  
neck.

Something inside me gets jittery. "Jesse's cigarette accidentally fell  
there when we were arguing, Chris. I told you that before." I look at my  
watch. "God, I have to get back. Jesse said to have dinner done by  
seven."

Chris grabs my hand as I start to get up. "Stop letting that man walk  
all over you."

I shake him off. "I love Jesse. I want to do whatever I can to help him  
get through law school."

My friend once again transforms into my big brother. "I've been there,  
Arthur. You're letting him run your life. Don't."

I don't want to face the possible truth of his words, so I just shrug  
into my coat. "I'll be fine." I turn and walk out into the dusk.

\----------------------------------------------------

What was that they say about famous last words?

The minute I open the door to our loft, Jesse greets me with a shove and  
a yell.

"Where the hell have you been? I told you I needed dinner when I got  
home." He pins me against the wall with his hands on my pecs. I can feel  
the anger radiating off him as he seemingly tries to push me through the  
wall.

"You, you said you'd be home at seven." I try to get him to move back,  
but he isn't budging. Suddenly, I'm finding it hard to breathe.

"That bastard teaching torts screwed me again. He didn't like any of the  
stuff I gave him. And now I come home and have to make dinner myself?!"  
He uses his arm to bring my head up to meet his burning eyes.

I try to tell him that I'll do it, I'll start dinner right away, but my  
voice won't work. The world starts to turn grey as Jesse pushes harder  
on my chest and neck. 

I frantically shove him, and finally get him off me. As soon as his  
weight is off me, however, I collapse to the floor, which sets Jesse off  
again.

"Get up, you lazy shit. I need some food. I have an exam tomorrow." He  
pulls me to my feet and drags me to the kitchen. I'm surprised but  
relieved that he walks out immediately after leaving me at the counter.

Even before I completely regain my balance, I begin pulling containers  
off the shelves.

I love him. I do.

Then why am I wishing Chris was gay?

\----------------------------------------------------

The next day, I sit down in front of Chris and ask him that question. 

"Why am I so drawn to other guys lately?" The salt shaker falls from my  
nervous, fumbling fingers as I look up at my friend.

Chris meets my eyes with his own sharp ones. "It'd be obvious if you'd  
bother to look at the situation, Arthur. He treats you like shit. If I  
were you, I would've already dumped him."

Something in his statement makes me laugh. "I don't think Jesse would  
fall for the strong and straight type."

Chris smiles, then his face transforms into a thoughtful look I've never  
seen before. "Who said I was straight?" The suddenly strange tones in  
Chris' gravelly soft voice runs through me, causing sparks.

I hide my head so he can't see the flush on my face. "Louise." I  
carefully look back up at him, afraid of what I'll see.

Chris smirks at me conspiratorily. "She wished I was." He grabs my hand  
and squeezes for a fraction of a second. "I'm bi."

Just as Chris lets my hand go, I turn to see Jesse burst in through the  
barroom door.

"WHERE IS MY REPORT?" The man in my life stomps over to my place at the  
counter like a stampeding herd of elephants.

"Wh-hat?" I pull away as Jesse reaches to grab my shirt.

"It's bad enough that you hang in this shithole when you should be  
helping me, but now you don't print out the report I had to hand in  
today?" Again, I duck to avoid being hauled out of here by my hair.

Knowing serious trouble when I see it, I get up from the stool and move  
away from the counter, trying to keep some distance bewteen us. "I'm  
sorry Jesse. I was so tired from the article I had to finish that I  
forgot."

"Are you trying to ruin my career, you bastard?" Wihout warning, Jesse's  
fist connects with my stomach, making me double over. Out of the corner  
of my eye, I see a second swing heading toward my ear. I brace myself,  
but it never connects. Instead, the dull sound of another punch reaches  
my ear.

I look up to see blood on Chris' fist and Jesse's nose. 

Chris is rocking on the balls of his feet, his face full of anger. I  
watch as Chris takes another swing, but it all seems to be in slow  
motion as that deja vu feeling hits me like a ton of bricks.

I know that look. I know that stance. I've seen them both before.  
Slowly, the revelation completes itself. Chris' hair should be blond and  
long. He should be wearing silver pants and platforms. Mascara and black  
nailpolish. . .Suddenly I know it--my best friend is the man of my  
childhood dreams. . .and one night of reality.

A yell pulls me out of my revelation. "Arthur!" Chris--Curt grabs me  
suddenly, pushing me away. Belatedly, I see the hand Jesse was reaching  
toward my neck.

My savior bats it away, then pulls it into an uncomfortable position  
behind Jesse's back and growls in his ear. "Get out of my bar, moron,  
before I call the police."

I try to say something, to help my friend, to defend Jesse perhaps. The  
greying of the world prevents me, though. I feel myself slowly sinking  
to the floor. Then all is black.

\----------------------------------------------------

I open my eyes to the familiar florescent light above Chris' office  
desk. As my senses come back to me, I can feel my feet dangling off the  
edge of the huge oak slab, and the blotter, which is digging into my  
back.

But those minor distractions are forgotten as two very familiar blue  
eyes move into my view.

"Are you ok, kid?" A hand reaches toward my face, then stops, hovering  
an inch above my cheek. "I made Jesse leave. I told him if I catch him  
within ten feet of you, he's risking his life."

I smile at the worried face above me, trying to calm him. Then I realize  
something. "You haven't called me that in almost twenty years."

Chris's eyes widen, so I reach my hand out to touch *his* cheek. Fear  
radiates from my friend. Fear of me?! "Well you're not a kid anymore."  
He rakes his hand through his hair. "When did you figure it out?"

I sit up slowly. After a minute, the world stops moving. "Right before I  
fainted." Then I grab his hands and squeeze, smiling at him gently.

"Fuck. I didn't mean to hurt you." He crouches down in front of the desk  
and looks up at me. "I wanted to tell you. I didn't know how."

I look at the 40-some year old face in front of me, suddenly seeing the  
laugh lines that made his face look glorious in London sunlight, the  
ghost of the mascara that once outlined his long lashes and made his  
eyes even more blue, the lush lips that were, for one single minute,  
pressed against mine that night.

Then I remember the nights at the bar, when Chris kept me in coffee as I  
finished articles, the pep talks when Lou tried to get me to bend on an  
article I didn't want changed, the night Chris cried in front of me over  
Louise. We have become so much more than just an idol and his fan, but I  
still have to know. How do I connect the young, bizzarre, rebellious  
rock star with the compassionate, strong man crouching before me? 

I finally get the nerve to ask the question. "Why did you change your '  
name?"

Curt's barking laugh, the one I remember from the televised interviews,  
comes out of my best friend's mouth. "I changed my name twenty years  
ago. I wanted my real name back."

Well, that shows how fake my idols were at seventeen. "Oh." Not knowing  
what else to say, I slowly move to stand up.

Chris rises to his feet as well. "We should get you out of here. You  
have a place to go?"

I shake my head sadly. I had put all my eggs in Jesse's basket.

"Well, have I shocked you too much? Or is it ok to invite you to stay  
with me for the night?" Chris puts his hands in his pockets and looks at  
me nervously.

"If you don't mind my intrusion. . ." I want to plead with him to take  
me home. My memories and my instincts tell me that he could make Jesse  
disappear in a heartbeat. I turn away from him slightly, trying to hide  
my arousal at the thought.

"What fucking intrusion? I've wanted to drag you away from that idiot  
for ages."

I smile at a memory that fills my mind. "I remember having that thought  
about you and Brian."

Chris' Mona Lisa smile makes me double. A flash of Curt overlays my  
friend's face, then he transforms back. "You did, Arthur."

I stare at him, incredulous. "Me?"

"Yes, you. You helped me straighten out my life, by showing me real  
laughter and fun. I was really gettting sick of the fake shit that man  
dished out to me, and now to millions of kids." Chris shakes his head,  
as if in exasperation.

I lean against the desk as I try to make sense of what he just said.  
"Stone?"

A barking laugh makes me jump. "Yeah, you were right. Brian Slade became  
Tommy Stone. I thought you realized that after our talk at Henry's bar."  
He puts his hands in his pockets and sighs. "He threatened me, Arthur.  
He knew you were on to him. He forced me not to talk that day you called  
me." 

Chris reaches for my hand and pulls me to a standing position. "Now you  
know it all, kid. So where do we go from here?"

I look at him hopefully, suddenly wanting to get out of here. "Your  
place?"

\----------------------------------------------------

I look at Chris' apartment in amazement. The furniture is purple velvet,  
the surrounding walls a cream color. It's a mix of glitter and modern,  
somehow fitting together as if they were made to.

Chris waves me quickly into his bedroom as I start to sag against the  
wall. "You can sleep on my bed." He stops my protest before it can begin  
with a wave of his hand. "Don't argue, man. You look exhausted." He  
follows me into a spacious room a the king-size bed and starts rummaging  
in the dresser. "Believe it or not, I still got a few of Brian's  
clothes. Let me get them for you to sleep in. My stuff won't fit you,  
you've gotten so tall."

He pulls out a long pair of cotton pants and a t-shirt and hands them to  
me. "Here, these should fit."

I stare at him for a minute, tears edging onto my eyes. How do I tell  
him what I feel at the moment? I can't, I have no idea how he feels  
about me. So I settle for the friendly way out. "Thanks, Chris."

"Anytime. You ok now?" I nod. "Ok, I'll be in the living room, on the  
couch, if you need me." The door gently shuts behind his retreating  
back.

The weight of all the things that happened tonight pull me down onto the  
soft bed. I close my eyes, trying to make sense of it all, but before I  
can, my fatigue overtakes me and I drift off.

\----------------------------------------------------

"No! Jesse, don't!" I gasp as I open my eyes, surprised to see soft  
light and a concerned look instead of Jesse's hand once again reaching  
for my throat.

"Shh. It's only a dream." Chris' gentle hands help me sit up as I  
struggle to clear the fearful images from my head. He keeps his arms  
around me as I catch my breath. "You're safe. I won't let anyone hurt  
you."

Before I can stop myself, I lean into his embrace. "I really didn't see  
how bad he was getting." Slowly, I realize I am so close to him that I  
can smell the last vistages of the cologne he always wears. Not wanting  
him to think I'm coming on to him, I pull back quickly.

"Arthur, what's wrong?" He starts to pull me back into his arms, then  
stops. "Tell me what I did."

"N-Nothing. It's me. I'm sorry." My head hangs as I wonder how I'm going  
to survive living with Chris for any length of time without revealing my  
attraction to him.

A light flashing past the open bedroom window catches my eye. The  
brilliance of the shooting star brings back the warm feeling I had on  
that night.

Aparently, I'm not alone in my musings. Chris' soft voice reaches my  
ears. "Hey, look. Make a wish."

Then slowly, as if he's afraid I'll run, Chris turns my face toward his  
own and gently kisses me.

Amazement makes my eyes widen as he pulls back from me. "I-I. . ."

Chris' gentle hand caresses my cheek. "Is it too soon? I don't want to  
rush you, but I thought I'd explode if I didn't at least kiss you. I've  
been wanting to do it for so long." 

That Curt Wild grin comes back as he watches my jaw drop. "Foolish boy.  
If I knew earlier that Louise told you I was straight, things might be  
very different now. I knew who you were the minute I approached you  
about the bar. Why do you think I invited you in the first place?"

"I thought you were just advertising."

"I could've done that with flyers. I tracked you down after we met in  
Henry's bar, and kept my ear to the ground. The more I heard, the more I  
wanted to see for myself what my kid had become. You more than impressed  
me, and, well. . ." He turns away.

I pull at his t-shirt, concerned. "What?"

"After I talked to you for awhile, I guess I fell in love with you."  
Chris shrugs. "Then you met Jesse. He seemed like a nice guy at first,  
and you looked thrilled to death with him. No way was I going to spoil  
your happiness." He lets out a long sigh. "I did that with Brian. I do  
everything I can to help Mandy now, so the guilt doesn't eat me alive."

Wondering at my luck, I carefully lean back into gentle arms. Looking up  
into that beloved face makes me wonder how I could've ever believed I  
loved Jesse. "The only reason I ever looked at Jesse was because I  
thought I couldn't have you."

Laughter makes Chris' eyes shine. "I was too dumb to realize what I had  
18 years ago, but you could've had me with one hint the next time we  
met. You're so damned gorgeous. And daring, and intelligent, and  
compassionate, and. . ."

"Stop!" Laughter racks my frame as I push him down on the bed and lean  
over him. "You make me sound like some sort of god."

A hand brushes through my hair. "Hell, I feel like I've been worshipping  
you for ages."

"Chris. . ."

He puts a finger against my lips. "Shh. I know, it's too soon. You have  
to have time to get over Jesse."

Shaking my head, I lower my weight to his body. "Jesse and I, well we  
haven't done anything in two months. He kept saying that school made him  
tired. And the emotional stuff. . ." I blush and hide my face in his  
chest. "You gave me all the affection that should've come from Jesse  
these past couple months. I just started to see that yesterday."

Chris's voice rumbles through me, making my temperature rise. "Just tell  
me what you need, what you want."

I raise my head and fall into his eyes. "I want whatever you're willing  
to give."

"You sure?" I nod. "Then before this goes any further, I want to ask  
something." He waits until I nod at him. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I love you, you dolt. Because I finally realized what my  
heart's been trying to tell me for years." I grin as memory assails me  
and his words come out of my mouth. "Don't be scared. I just want to fly  
with you tonight."

Chris smirks, then turns serious. "And tomorrow?"

"Hopefully tomorrow will be just like tonight. And every night after it.  
If that's what you want too."

Chris rolls us on the bed so I'm beneath him. "Didn't I tell you I love  
you, or did I mangle your mind already?" We laugh together, then our  
lips reach for each other like magnets.

Sparks fly though my body as his mouth plunders mine, reaching to know  
every part of me. I arch up as a hand wedges between us, stroking my  
chest. Finally running out of air, we unlock our lips.

Gasping, Chris meets my eyes with a serious look. "If you don't want  
this to happen, Arthur, say so now. If we go any further, I might not be  
able to stop."

Instead of answering him, I pull the hem of his t-shirt to his shoulders  
and bite the small pink nipple I uncover. 

My heart leaps as Chris shudders in arousal. "I'm assuming that's your  
way of saying 'forget the idea of stopping.'" His hips grind into mine  
as I take another nip. "God, Arthur. I feel higher after two seconds  
with you than I ever did on heroin."

My glee at his response makes me bold, and I move my mouth slowly down  
his chest. Broader than it was in his youth, his form still stirs me in  
ways I can't explain. I reach for the tie on his pajama pants, wanting  
to know if what's hidden there has changed too.

Chris pushes me back before I can do anything more. "I want to see you.  
I want to feel you. I want to see the stars in your eyes. Let me take  
care of you, tonight." He leans over me and caresses my hair.

"But Chris--" 

"Shh. I know Jesse hasn't been taking care of you, and hell, I'm not  
sure I even took good care of you the first time." He slowly pulls the  
t-shirt off me and glides his body over mine, making me squirm.

"I remember thinking it was perfect." His hands wander slowly, brushing  
my sides, my arms, my shoulders. The tension the touches create builds  
too fast. It's been so long. . .

"Chris, please!" I arch up, trying to get more of him. "Can we worry  
about foreplay tomorrow?"

Chris chuckles as his hands move to push down the pants I borrowed.  
"That's my Arthur, always to the point."

I moan as his hand wraps around my cock. "I like the sound of that. I  
always wanted to be your Arthur."

"In my mind, you have been for years." Seconds later, I feel the amazing  
touch of his tongue stroking the tip of my erection. My hands grasp at  
the sheets as I try to keep myself from flying to pieces. 

Suddenly Chris stops. "Damn, where'd I put the KY?"

"W-what?" My mind slowly muddles through the meaning of his words.

"Never mind, I found it." He holds up the tube for my inspection. "Can I  
take a ride?"

I blink at him slowly, totally missing his meaning.

Chris chuckles. "You're cute when you're confused. I want you inside me.  
Is that ok?"

My body flushes at the thought. "Y-yeah. But I don't know if I can. . .  
you know, give you what you want. I feel like I'll last for about five  
seconds."

I watch as Chris removes his pants and warms some lubricant in his  
hands. "And what if what I want is to see you come?" 

Chris wrenches a moan from me as he coats my cock with the stuff. "Then  
you're in luck. This will be quick."

"I'm sure the neighbors will thank us tomorrow for keeping our screams  
short." Our laughter reverberates around us as he lowers himself onto  
me, but the sounds quickly change to gasps of pleasure.

"Chris, Curt--Oh, God. You're, you're--" My voice leaves me as he begins  
to rock of his hips against mine. My body starts quivering.

He must like my response, because he speeds up his rhythm. He bends down  
for an open-mouth kiss, and begins mimicking what our bodies are doing  
elsewhere.

Waves of feeling crash over me, red hot pleasure, shining love, glimmers  
of hope, wanting for this to never end. I try to distract myself from  
the feelings, hoping this can last a little longer, but it's no use.

I shudder and grab Chris' shoulder as my climax shoots through me.  
Surprisingly, I hear Chris shout out his seconds later.

Collapsing onto me, he chuckles. "You aren't the only one who's been  
missing out lately." 

I smooth back his hair as we both slowly catch our breath. "I feel like  
a blind man who was just told that I've had my eyes closed for 35 years.  
I can't believe I missed so much about you."

His arms reach securely around me as he speaks into my chest. "We all do  
that. I didn't help by hiding who I was, either. But guilt isn't going to get us anywhere.  
I want to start my life over, right at this very second, what do you say?"

"Ok." I kiss the top of his head. "I love you, Chris."

"Always, Arthur. More than I know how to show you. But trust me, I'll  
spend the rest of my life trying." He caresses my arm lightly. "Sleep,  
love."

I follow him into dreams, knowing he will keep me safe.

Many hours later, I blink at the light shining in my eyes. Chris' radio  
alarm clock clicks on and finishes waking me up as I wrap my arms around  
the man still sleeping in my arms.

/Here comes the sun. Here comes the sun. And I say it's all right./

\----------------------------------------------------


End file.
